It is mainly men who cannot stop gambling, but many women also find themselves unable to quit gambling. In this article, we will call the gambler “he” but it could just as easily read “she.”

1. Preoccupied With Gambling

The gambler who cannot put a stop to gambling will walk, talk and breathe gambling. He will tell stories of previous big wins, often exaggerating the size of the jackpot. He will regularly corner others, telling anybody who will listen about his latest scheme, or his unbeatable strategy. He will usually use more than one form of gambling, being unable to stop gambling online, at the track, or on the pokies. Even bingo and the lottery hold him spell-bound. He loses interest in his normal activities and hobbies, instead becoming increasingly obsessed with gambling.

2. More And More

Just as a drug addict needs an ever increasing supply of drugs to achieve the same high, so a gambling addict finds himself betting more and more – not for greater winnings, but to obtain the same kick and level of excitement as before.

3. Can’t Stop

Even if he wanted to, the problem gambler is powerless to quit gambling. He becomes impatient and irritable when trying to even cut back. For the gambler, betting is a method of escaping problems or relieving stress.

4. The Cover-Up

The gambler lies to family and friends – and sometimes even to himself -about the amount being gambled in order to hide his dependency. At the same time, he brags and exaggerates the size of winnings. When confronted, he denies having a problem at all, and he becomes angry if the subject is pursued. The lies become a way of life. He withdraws from family and friends, and even lies about his whereabouts while gambling.

5. Dependent

The gambler will start relying on others to bail him out of financial crises. He regularly borrows from family and friends until their good will has been used up and they refuse to lend him any more money – at least until he repays what he already owes them. Then, mortgages and loans are refinanced. Bills remain unpaid. Life assurance is cashed in. The gambler may even start committing frauds and thefts to finance his gambling addiction.

6. Self Destructive

The gambler’s career is jeopardised, and relationships with family and friends becomes eroded as his obsession with gambling escalates. He feels a tremendous amount of shame and guilt after gambling the grocery money yet again and he will consider, or even attempt, suicide because he feels so helpless and useless.

7. Losing Control

The gambler’s personality gradually changes. He can become controlling of those around him because he himself is out of control. He can be bad-tempered, contrary, fault-finding and manipulative. He blames everyone else for his financial problems, refusing to take responsibility for his own actions.

8. No Sense Of Time

The problem gambler tends to gamble during times of celebration and special events. He spends his time gambling while on holiday to relax, and during times of crisis to make himself feel better. Inevitably, he spends more time gambling than he originally planned.

How Can We Help?

Friends and relatives must stop enabling him to keep gambling by refusing to give him more money, or to bail him out of any more crises. The gambler must come to the realisation that he has a problem before he can learn how to stop gambling. He must face the consequences of his gambling. Only then will counselling and a self-help course help.

It is significant to learn where online gambling is in today’s highly commercialized world. This is not an easy discussion and will require us to expend time and effort if we were to seek enlightenment on this matter. But this knowledge is relevant for beginners, players, and casinos themselves. For instance, such information can give you a perception of gambling, not only in the country but in the entire world. Statistics can give you information regarding the kind of gamblers casinos have and the overall gambling behavior of the populace. If you are an interested online gambler, you should keep yourself updated to the latest news.

Looking at the General Picture of the Online Gambling Realm

At the present, gamblers around the world are flustered at the approval of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), which prohibits Americans from gambling games online and which seems the most pressing issue concerning the gambling public. Nonetheless, the bill targets only the American citizens and the US gambling and casino market. But the implications of this law spread globally. One of the notable effects is the higher stringency in money transferring procedure and banking options in gambling sites. This started in 2007 though in a vague, confusing manner. The outcome is the closure of online gambling sites as a result of reduction of stocks brought about by diminishing market as the US bans its people to join online gambling. Gambling sites outside United States also forbids registration of US players. Indeed, the effects of UIGEA travelled beyond the bounds of America, affecting worldwide gambling industry, impairing more casino sites than it ought to be.

Gambling on the Internet

So, you may want to check out how gambling is prospering in other nations which have continued the tradition of gambling. American gamblers are not entirely banned from joining the gambling sites and that should be clear. Some states still allow people to gamble despite the presence of UIGEA, which is not fully implemented across the nation. More countries around the globe are promoting casinos to compensate the dire slump in the US casino market. These countries include Barbuda and Antigua in the Caribbean area, where online gambling has been long successful and flourishing. The Caribbean has some of the best licensed online casinos whose boom has been due to low taxes and speedy transactions. Of course, apart from this Caribbean country, there are more countries that allow online gambling and online casinos to operate, such as France, Australia, South Korea, and Germany. These countries have long seen the economic advantage of supporting this kind of market.

Future of Gambling

The stability of both land based and online casinos is a subject of continuing debate. There is much discussion regarding the real economic benefits of promoting casinos and letting them thrive in the commercial scene. There is also an argument regarding the pros and cons of having them around and whether the benefits outweigh the disadvantages or is it the other way around. Nonetheless, experts believe that online gambling and roulette are sure to be around for a while and that this industry remains prosperous no matter what.

Land-based casinos and online casino revenues and site releases are growing faster then ever. Even after the dust has settled following the recent American law prohibiting deposits to online gambling companies, large organisations such as Party Gaming, Ladbrokes and VIP Casino club are all increasing their efforts to attract a wider European or global audience.

Gambling itself is a compulsive and addictive activity, with numerous regulatory societies attempting to outlaw and even ban online gambling around the globe. Regulatory environments themselves differ from country to country. While the US has sought keenly to identify ways of banning online gambling, the UK has lead the way to ensuring that online gambling remains a choice for many, but does not become a threat to others.

Its recent release of a new Gambling Act has sought to protect children and problem areas from abusive gambling, while attempting to levy a tax duty on all income from gambling both offline and online. The Act will make it illegal to entice children to gamble and there will be compulsory age checks for online gambling websites.

Its new Gambling Act will provision for the construction of Super Casinos in selected areas across the country, though this has been scaled down from an initial 40 super casinos to around 8, following complaints from the public and opposition parties. The Gambling Act will allow casinos to operate 24 hours, with unlimited jackpots, and gambling will be allowed on Sundays and Bank Holidays. As far as online websites are concerned, when the Act comes into force at the end of September 2007, companies will be able to apply for a license to operate online gambling website from a UK base.

Countries differ in terms of how they levy a tax on gambling. For example, some will tax each bet individually while countries like the UK, tax only the gross profits that gambling organisations make. Territories like Malta and Gibraltar offer competitive tax regimes as well as the benefits of an off-shore financial centre.

Australia has a large gambling population, where statistic show that 80% of its population gambles. Super casinos are also allowed in Australia, with Sydney’s Star City reputedly the size of 7 football fields. A recent study also showed that Australians spend more money each week on gambling than they do on alcohol or clothes. State government proceeds from gambling have increased to around $3.8bn per annum, since 1998.

What of other jurisdictions across the globe?

Below is a list of some countries and some interesting figures relating to gambling.

Australia

80% of population gamble

Legal age to gamble is 18

$80 billion gambling turnover in 2006

States received $3.8 billion in gambling duties 2006

Online gambling is permitted

Sweden

95% of population gamble

Legal age to gamble is 18

58 billion Swedish Crowns turnover in 2006

Government received 5 billion Crowns in tax in 2006

Online gambling is permitted

Spain

70% of population gamble

Legal age is 18

EUR30 billion gambling turnover

Receives EUR1 billion in gambling taxes

Recently allowed online gambling licenses

Macau

60% of population gamble

Legal age is 18

$6 billion in gambling takings 2006

$1 billion state revenues from gambling

Online gambling is permitted

UK

70% of population gamble

Legal age to gamble is 18 (though lotteries and pools and low stake machine permit 16)

£53 billion gambling expenditure in 2006

UK received £1.3 billion in gambling duties in 2006

Online gambling permitted

US

80% of population gamble

Legal age 18 (most casinos age 21 as this is legal alcohol age associated with casinos)

Gambling has been around for centuries. In fact, it is so prevalent in the society that it has been considered to be part of human culture. From ancient Romans, to ancient Chinese, to modern civilizations, gambling has indeed been a part of history. In fact, even some of the most famous monarchs are known to have gambled and some have also been addicted to it. Today, you will see that a lot of people from all over the world are now visiting the internet because of online gambling.

Online gambling is now one of the largest in the gambling industry. In fact, some online gambling websites are even larger than some of the major casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Because of the fact that online gambling is able to provide for all people from different parts of the world, online gambling became very popular.

With online gambling, you will be able to test out your luck right in the comforts of your own home.

When it comes to gambling, there is that age old question regarding gambling, which is how to win in it.

Basically, you have to remember that gambling is gambling. There is no guarantee that you will always win whenever you gamble. Whether it is online or offline, you will still experience losing. There may be theories on gambling, but you have to remember that even these theories will not claim to provide you with wins all the time. In fact, some theories even emphasize that you will experience losses.

You need to face the fact that whenever you gamble, you are always risking something in order to gain something. However, in gambling, you will see that there are strategies on how to increase your chances of winning and minimize losses.

By following these tips, you can be sure that you will be able to enjoy gambling more, and minimize risk of losing a lot of money.

First of all, you should never set an amount that you should win in a single day of gambling. Instead, you should set an amount of money that you should bet. And, it is very important that you should never ever set an amount of money to bet that you cannot afford to lose. Keep in mind that a lot of people have plunge deeper in to debt because of doing so. Some weren’t even addicted to gambling.

Treat gambling as a form of entertainment. In fact, gambling is a lot of fun and very exciting. However, you should never treat gambling as a way to earn money. Just gamble for fun and any wins you get, treat it as a bonus and buy something nice, such as getting a new shirt or getting a new pair of shoes. However, if you lose, then don’t take it seriously. You just lost something that you can afford to lose and can gain back later in your next salary.

These are the strategies that are very reliable when you go online gambling. Always remember that gambling is very entertaining and can provide you with a lot of thrill and excitement. However, never take gambling seriously. Just have fun with it and never treat it as a way for you to make some money. A good gambler is a person who always knows when to stop. Remember these tips and you can be sure that you will be able to increase your chances of winning and minimize losses.